Alan D. Scott on fri 6 sep 02
Does anybody know of some good books (or software) on developing clay
bodies? Since I've got into making my own glazes, I've decided to make my
own clay as well. All of my work is cone 6 fired in oxidation (electric).
There are many books on glaze making and thousands of recipes for glazes out
there, but I can't find much on clay bodies. Chappell's book of clay and
glaze recipes has lots of example recipes, but nothing about modifying them
or developing clay bodies from scratch. Most good ceramic texts discuss raw
materials and what goes into a clay body, but it's all general information.
All the ceramic software packages are focused on glazes. I can use Insight
to catalog clay body test recipes, etc., but I don't see how it can help in
developing a clay body (limit values and expansion used for glazes don't
seem to have a place in clay body development).
Axner has reprinted a book on high fire clay bodies (Clay Bodies by Robert
Tichane). The description indicates that it is strictly limited to
formulating cone 10 bodies. Is there another source on lowering maturation
temperatures of clay bodies that I could use along with this? Maybe I'll
end up writing a book on cone 6 bodies...
Alan Scott
The 3rd Cup Clayworks
Parker, AZ
Lily Krakowski on fri 6 sep 02
Not having done this in decades I am limited in what I can say. I gave up
doing it because it was not worthwhile. Buying a ready body was infinitely
easier and if time is considered, cheaper.
When I did make my own I went about it exactly as with glazes. I bought a
low firing red clay (Fetzer, which most of you are too young to remember)
Monmouth or Jordan--both wonderful white clays, also gone, and some
feldspar. I mixed them as I would a glaze-- so many % of one, so many of the
other, and then tested. The second or third round would produce something
usable which then was tested in a bigger batch.
But I urge you--spare yourself.
Alan D. Scott writes:
> Does anybody know of some good books (or software) on developing clay
> bodies? Since I've got into making my own glazes, I've decided to make my
> own clay as well. All of my work is cone 6 fired in oxidation (electric).
>
> There are many books on glaze making and thousands of recipes for glazes out
> there, but I can't find much on clay bodies. Chappell's book of clay and
> glaze recipes has lots of example recipes, but nothing about modifying them
> or developing clay bodies from scratch. Most good ceramic texts discuss raw
> materials and what goes into a clay body, but it's all general information.
> All the ceramic software packages are focused on glazes. I can use Insight
> to catalog clay body test recipes, etc., but I don't see how it can help in
> developing a clay body (limit values and expansion used for glazes don't
> seem to have a place in clay body development).
>
> Axner has reprinted a book on high fire clay bodies (Clay Bodies by Robert
> Tichane). The description indicates that it is strictly limited to
> formulating cone 10 bodies. Is there another source on lowering maturation
> temperatures of clay bodies that I could use along with this? Maybe I'll
> end up writing a book on cone 6 bodies...
>
> Alan Scott
> The 3rd Cup Clayworks
> Parker, AZ
>
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Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389
Be of good courage....
karen gringhuis on sun 8 sep 02
Alan -
Cushing's HANDBOOK includes clay body recipes for
bodies at various temperatures and for various
purposes. You could use one of these or they would
give you a good starting point - a bench mark. My
book is not handy but I recall no discussion of the
why and wherefore of designing a clay body in the
Handbook (though I could be wrong about this.)
Although I mix my own body for good reasons (and have
made other bodies in the past, I second Lilli's advice
to consider buying a clay body. Or at least really
THINK through WHY a store-bought body will not suit
your needs. If you can pinpoint what you want to
change about a ready-made body and talk to a tech
support person at various clay suppliers, they might
have a different body which would suit you.
Honestly, you don't sound like you have a specific
complaint but just want to try the process of making
it? So find a recipe, order the raw materials and
JUST DO IT. You may even want to mix small quantities
of a couple of different bodies to compare. For
future ref, keep track of your costs, especially if
you are buying smaller quantities of materials. Keep
track of shipping costs to compare with shipping of
store-bought clay, etc. Think about storage space if
you keep it up. And enjoy learning!
If I can help further, write me.
=====
Karen Gringhuis
KG Pottery
Box 607 Alfred NY 14802
Personal e-mail to:
KGPottery@hotmail.com
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Ron Roy on thu 12 sep 02
Hi Alan,
Send me a list of the clays you can get - I'll walk you through the steps
to making a cone 6 body - decide what colour you want it to be.
I use Insight all the time to work on clay bodies - ounce you have a couple
you begin to see what is needed.
If you write a book on clay bodies I think you will have me as a co-author
and publisher.
RR
>Does anybody know of some good books (or software) on developing clay
>bodies? Since I've got into making my own glazes, I've decided to make my
>own clay as well. All of my work is cone 6 fired in oxidation (electric).
>
>There are many books on glaze making and thousands of recipes for glazes out
>there, but I can't find much on clay bodies. Chappell's book of clay and
>glaze recipes has lots of example recipes, but nothing about modifying them
>or developing clay bodies from scratch. Most good ceramic texts discuss raw
>materials and what goes into a clay body, but it's all general information.
>All the ceramic software packages are focused on glazes. I can use Insight
>to catalog clay body test recipes, etc., but I don't see how it can help in
>developing a clay body (limit values and expansion used for glazes don't
>seem to have a place in clay body development).
>
>Axner has reprinted a book on high fire clay bodies (Clay Bodies by Robert
>Tichane). The description indicates that it is strictly limited to
>formulating cone 10 bodies. Is there another source on lowering maturation
>temperatures of clay bodies that I could use along with this? Maybe I'll
>end up writing a book on cone 6 bodies...
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
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